Kusmi Tea – Now There’s a Story!

Kusmi Tea has been delighting tea drinkers since 1867. The history of this family business has all the elements of a great novel:

The 14-year old peasant Pavel Michailovitch Kousmichoff leaves home for St. Petersburg to find work. He starts out as a delivery boy for a tea merchant. Soon, he is invited to learn the art of blending tea.

Interestingly, Russian tea was renowned throughout Europe for its excellent quality. Because it was imported by land, it was not subjected to the damage and dampness of a sea voyage. In addition, it was a popular beverage for centuries, so merchants were expert with its cultivation, blending and flavoring. Pavel marries and is given a small tea house of his own. And so begins the life of the P.M. Kousmichoff tea company in 1867. By the turn of the century, Pavel and his wife have 6 children and own 11 teahouses. Pavel’s son takes over the company after his father died in 1908. Soon, they have expanded to 51 teahouses in Russia, London and other European cities. With the political scene about to explode in Russia, the family transfers assets to London and opens the company’s first Paris branch in 1917.

The family escapes Russia, first to Constantinople and then to Paris. The company continues to grow throughout the 20’s and 30’s. Pavel’s grandson eventually sells the company in 1972. Named Kusmi tea by new owners in 2004, the company’s traditional blends remain while continuing to expand and modernize.

One of their oldest and most popular teas is a special blend made for Pavel’s daughter Elisabeth, named Bouquet of Flowers. A favorite of the tsar, this blend of black teas from China, Ceylon and India is flavored with bergamot, citrus and flowers. It is still available today.

Kusmi tea offers a huge selection of hand-picked and carefully blended Russian, Black, green, red, decaffeinated and herbal teas with fragrant additions such as mandarin orange, grapefruit, lime as well as vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, almond and jasmine. Kusmi tea recently opened a store in New York city. It is also available in LA at the Farmer’s Market, in Paris and online at EnjoyBetterTea.

Kusmi tea bags come individually wrapped in muslin bags that look to be hand-sewn. The tags are sewn-on too, so no staples. Plus, information on the tag lets you know about the proper water temperature and steeping time.

We also have the tea loose in beautiful, colorful tins that are worthy of gift-giving!

Consider trying one of their famously-named blends, Kusmi Anastasia tea, a blend of China and Ceylon teas with natural scents of bergamot, lemon and orange blossom.

Another favorite is Russian Morning No 24, a blend of good Ceylon, Assam and China teas. This brews up dark and strong.

Try the Detox blend, with green tea, yerba mate and lemon grass. This tea is designed to support both physical and emotional health, and the mate gives you a little boost.

We have several flavored green teas: Almond, Jasmine, Rose. If you can’t decide, try The Moments, a pack of 5 different loose teas and an infuser: Earl Grey, Russian Morning No 24, Russian Evening, Green Jasmine and Kashmir Tchai.

We love this tea so much that we will give you a 10% discount on all Kusmi teas through the end of August. Please use coupon code KSM10. *